Travel Book Review: Uncoupling by Lorraine Brown
Here is my travel book review Uncoupling by Lorraine Brown. Uncoupling is a fun, triumphant, travel story crossing famous places in Europe. Published in 2021, Lorraine Brown mixes travel, relationships, secrets and doubt in one story about an uncoupling train and a potential uncoupling relationship as the past is subtly revealed and secrets unfold. Read on for the Paris travel book review.
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Places We Travel To in Uncoupling Book Lorraine Brown
Contents (jump to)
Uncoupling Summary
The book starts as a mad rush, one we’ve all done while travelling, as we follow a couple, Hannah and Si, racing through Venice to make the train heading to Amsterdam for Si’s sister’s wedding. We instantly see the contrast between the couple; Hannah’s head is elsewhere and quite clumsy while Si is the organised one and seems to be annoyed, yet self-assured, at Hannah’s clumsiness.
On the train ride, Hannah goes to another compartment to sleep and low and behold, the train uncouples with Si’s half off to Amsterdam while Hannah ends up in Paris.
Disembarking the train in Paris, Hannah meets and goes on to spend the day with a fellow train uncoupling-victim, Leo and what goes from anxiety-ridden panic turns out to be a day of sightseeing France’s capital while learning about herself, questioning her relationship and opening up to this stranger…
Travel Book Review Uncoupling by Lorraine Brown
One of my favourite aspects of Uncoupling is the way it demonstrates that one’s opinions on a place almost always mirrors how they feel at the time. It’s sort of a real life pathetic fallacy. For example, if things are going swimmingly in your career and you take a city break, chances are you’ll have the best memories in that place but if you go and there’s something in your life not-so-great, it will have an effect on your view of that trip. That’s why we shouldn’t limit ourselves to going somewhere just once. I’ve learned this from many novels set in France. This is when we learn that it’s not Hannah’s first time in Paris.
I enjoyed the main plot and found myself wanting to know where Leo would take Hannah next, why she was in Paris before and why she didn’t like Paris as well as page-turning to find out if Hannah makes the wedding.
The characters, and scenarios, had extremely recognisable personalities such as the overbearing and controlling bridezilla, borderline-controlling partner, criticising and selfish mother, happy-go-lucky stranger and devoted stepfather. I feel that Brown nailed the characterisation at first impressions and revealed more layers as the story progressed.
I also enjoyed the fact that I was reading about 30-something year olds travelling.
The travel aspect flew me to Paris and charmed me in the cliche way that French cities do without me even being there! I loved the use of the Seine as a marker, French language dotted around the novel, the emphasis on Parisians loving Paris and of course, French food.
Brown mentions in her acknowledgement that she walked the streets of Paris and went to Amsterdam for research and it shows in her writing. You can’t make these descriptions up without seeing them yourself.
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Travel Thoughts on Lorraine Brown Uncoupling
Travel lovers can relate to several aspects of the novel such as transport issues, Hannah and Si’s relationship, Hannah and Leo’s time together and Hannah’s solo moments.
- I love how Uncoupling highlighted the petty bickering that is inevitable when couples travel. And if you know of a couple who claims they don’t bicker when they travel, they’re lying.
- It also touches on how travel can make or break a couple… It really can test a relationship.
- Travelling can also push a relationship in a direction it needs to go. You can call it spice, a shake up or simply opening those doors to your partner’s sides that you haven’t seen before. For the good or the bad.
- So many travel lessons can be learned from the first 100 pages alone.
- I would’ve liked a bit more emphasis on thinking twice when going off with random strangers when they know you have no phone, you’re lost, people are unsure where you are and in a stressful situation.
- The train from Venice to Amsterdam makes me want to book immediately: ‘own little compartment with pull-out beds. Brandy night-caps as we whizz across the Alps.’
- I adore how Leo shows Hannah the authentic side of Paris, proving that being guided with a local is one of the best ways to explore.
Travelling solidified mine and my partner’s relationship, it highlighted our differences and brought us closer. Plus, we have these incredible memories that we will share forever. So read this book to inspire you to book your first couple trip.
Length of Uncoupling Book
Uncoupling is a perfect length travel book in my opinion. At 264 pages on Kindle, it’s a fairly quick read but packed with plot and detail about these world-class European cities.
Uncoupling Rating
I would highly recommend this book for every travel-bitten bookworm. I’d also recommend for first-time travellers for what to do on the trip, i.e. check and double check train terms and conditions, trust that the majority of people are inherently good, make the most of a morning and don’t waste it in a train station. Get this Audible trial to listen to Uncoupling by Lorraine Brown book.
Stars = 3.85 / 5
My Favourite Quotes from Uncoupling
‘We walked closer to the tower, dodging the crowds of influencers taking their best I’m in Paris! photo.’
‘The smell of lemon juice and salty fries hung in the air and I could hear the tinkle of cutlery knocking against China.’
‘So we must all conform to what society expects of us, is that what you mean?’
‘The pleasant aroma of fresh fish from the market mixed with sweet, fruity gelato.’ – This is definitely a travel book Paris offers us.
‘You cannot come to Paris and not see Montmartre […] how it was in Paris a hundred years ago.’
‘You know, whenever I travel somewhere new, I always stamp a picture of it in my mind’s eye, something really colourful and evocative.’ I said. ‘So that I can conjure up the feeling of being there when I’m back home.’
Buy Uncoupling Here:
Amazon Kindle | Waterstones | bookshop.org
Thanks for reading my book review of Uncoupling for my travel book blog!
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